1 Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cleaning and sterilizing devices in which sterilizing fluids at room temperature are employed.
2 Description of the Prior Art
Prior sterilizing devices have generally utilized heat as in autoclaves and have comprised containers in which instruments to be sterilized can be positioned such as seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,219,417 and 2,294,087. Still other prior art devices utilizing heated fluid sterilization liquids have incorporated circulating means as seen for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,327,707. Still other proposals have incorporated gas sterilizers and U.S. Pat. No. 3,478,758 discloses the use of germicidal lamps in combination with a liquid bath and a drying heated air environment.
This invention eliminates many of the problems heretofore experienced in cleaning and sterilizing fiberoptic scopes as hereinabove referred to and is equally efficient in cleaning and sterilizing gastroscopes, bronchoscopes and any other type of long flexible fiberoptic scope.